Every Southerner has likely eaten their fair share of fried catfish and hushpuppies, but where did that time-honored pairing originate? The answer, as provided by the Southern Foodways Alliance in this film, is Carolina fish camps: simple, family-friendly restaurants catering to blue-collar workers with generous portions of fried fish alongside the essential trinity of hushpuppies, coleslaw, and french fries (washed down with plenty of sweet tea, of course).

Originally established in the 1940s as riverside shacks to feed workers from nearby textile mills, fish camps provided a place where people could feed